Twilight walked into "her" bedroom and looked around. Spike looked up at her worried about how her telling Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle about Flash would compromise their mission. He wanted to say something but knew he shouldn't. He could by her body language, by her smells (one of the great benefits to being a dog), that something was going on with her and he needed to back off for a while.

"So, what d'ya think?" he asked nervously; not knowing how he should proceed.

"It's fine," she said in the slightly higher than normal pitch that meant she was lying. She took off the fake glasses and laid them on her desk (Sparkles desk). "It's exactly what my room would look like if I were human. The colors, the decorations, the books, they're all me." She stopped and grew really quiet before saying, "But it's not me." Twilight slowly walked over to her bed, sat down and begin to sob.

Spike went over to her and nuzzled against her. She may not be his Twilight, but she was a Twilight. He was about to say something when the door to her bedroom opened up.

"Honey, are you ok?" a concerned Mrs. Sparkle asked.

Twilight shook her head yes but never looked up. Mrs. Sparkle walked over, sat beside, and put her arm around her. "Is it about what's been going on - the murders?"

Twilight shook her head no. It was in a way but how could she tell Mrs. Sparkle what was going on or say how she felt? This wasn't her mother. Even if this person was as kind and understanding as her actual mother was; how could she even begin to understand all Twilight was going through? Still, she needed to say something.

"Who I am mother?" Twilight softly asked.

Mrs. Sparkle was taken aback a bit. She didn't understand what her daughter was getting at. "You're Twilight Sparkle, my daughter." She tried to sound reassuring but couldn't handle the surprise in her voice.

"But what does that actually mean?" Twilight asked with a hint of anger in her voice. "I am your daughter, but there are lots of daughters out there. I like to dress a certain way, I have my favorite clothes but those clothes are sold in a store with several copies. So others must like the same clothes I do. Music? Books? All mass produced so others must like what I like in them as well. If my likes and dislikes don't define me as an individual because many others have the same; then what does? What makes me ME? Is there a fundamental me or I am just a shadow of someone else?" She wanted to go on but didn't know how to without getting into some uncomfortable specifics.

Still, the loss of her identity seemed almost soul crushing at this point. It wasn't until she had actually stepped foot into the bedroom that everything she had been feeling before became magnified ten fold. The bedroom is the most intimate place. It is the place we willing lay day and make ourselves vulnerable. And it was in this place she saw that this other person was in fact her. A different species from a different dimension with a different culture and history; yet she felt at home and felt like this is exactly what she would have done.

Mrs. Sparkle hugged Twilight close. "Is there a 'fundamental you'? - I don't know. I guess that's a bit like asking is there a soul or not. But what I do know is that every person changes over time. You don't like the same things now that you did when you were six. I know I certainly don't." Mrs. Sparkle gave a little laugh before continuing.

"When I was your age, a little younger in fact, I was obsessed with a group called New Kids On The Block. Oh I loved them so much. I had posters and magazines, and you name it, I had it. And my mother said to me I would out grow them someday, as she out grew someone called David Cassidy. I said no, she didn't understand, I'd always love them. A year later, I had gotten rid of everything I had of theirs.

"If there was a fundamental us; we could never change, never grow. We would locked forever with one personality, one outlook on life. My identity has changed countless times over my life. So has your father's. We're American, we're Japanese, we're middle class, we're Californians, we're parents. Life changes and we change with it."

Mrs. Sparkle took Twilight's chin and lifted her head up so she could look her daughter in the eyes. "I know it can be tough. When you're a little kid you're defined by your parents, other relatives, teachers; when you get to your age you so want to define yourself, to say this is who I am. But you're never one thing, one person." She then kissed her daughter on the forehead.

"If you are ever one thing though, it is this - you will always be my daughter and I will always love you, no matter who else you are at the time."

Twilight hugged Mrs. Sparkle with all her might and smiled. This was so much like her own mom. For all intents and purposes, this was her mom. Then she frowned again thinking back on what Sunset had said.

"Mother, mom, we all die right?"

Once again, Mrs. Sparkle was taken aback by what her daughter had said. "Um, yes, as far as I know there are no immortals walking among us."

"So what's the point then? To anything? Like you and Dad? You love each other right? You made a bond with each other. But the best case scenario is that eventually one of you will be standing over the others grave crying and heart broken. So what's the point?"

"Oh wow. That's a very deep question Twilight. One who's answer has eluded people much smarter than I honey; but I'll try.

"I don't believe there is a point. Not some grand, over reaching point as it were. I believe we make our own point; for good or bad. On the personal level, yes, eventually, based on statistics; I will be mourning your farther. I do not look forward to that day. It's one I dread, but I know it's coming. That's why I try to pack in as much love and joy with him as I can before that day comes. Yes it will mean the grief will be all that much more because I won't be able to have any of that anymore but everything comes at a cost. The grief you feel when someone passes is the price you pay for all the love they gave you. And it's that love which will carry you through the rest of your life. I want to have the relationships with the ones I love that make you cry like crazy for days. That's how you know they were worth it.

"I don't know if any of that helps or not. It's not a purpose so to speak; but it is the code by which I live by and see the world. Any reason why you asked me that?"

"I, I never had someone I cared for like Flash. I don't know if I want to cry over his grave. I don't know if I could."

"Oh sweetie. You're such a deep thinker but so, uh, ah, inexperienced. At your ages, the likely hood of that happening is remote. Possible, but unlikely. But, as I said, or at least alluded to; you can't love with out grieving and if you don't love, then you're pretty much dead already."

Twilight looked at her mother and gave her a hug with a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks mom. It, it doesn't completely help, but it does make me feel a little better."

"Ok Sakura. Glad I could help in anyway possible. Now get cleaned up, supper's ready."

After Mrs. Sparkle had left, Spike informed Twilight it was custom to change out of her school uniform into regular house clothes, eat, then get a shower and change into pajamas. Twilight thought all the clothe changing was a bit much but if that's what was done, then that's what she would do. Besides, it was nice to see somethings were different.

Author's Notes:

I decided to hold off on the Sunset and Sirens stuff until next week and give it it's own full chapter.